House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi (D-CA) on Tuesday criticized Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s speech and his portrayal of the United States’ knowledge of Iran’s nuclear capabilities.
“The unbreakable bonds between the United States and Israel are rooted in our shared values, our common ideals and mutual interests,” Pelosi said in a Tuesday statement following Netanyahu’s speech to Congress. “That is why, as one who values the U.S. – Israel relationship, and loves Israel, I was near tears throughout the Prime Minister’s speech – saddened by the insult to the intelligence of the United States as part of the P5 +1 nations, and saddened by the condescension toward our knowledge of the threat posed by Iran and our broader commitment to preventing nuclear proliferation.”
Pelosi said that the U.S. is committed to stopping a nuclear-armed Iran.
“Today, Prime Minister Netanyahu reiterated something we all agree upon: a nuclear armed Iran is unacceptable to both our countries. We have all said that a bad deal is worse than no deal, and stopping the spread of nuclear weapons is the bedrock of our foreign policy and national security,” she said. “As President Obama has said consistently, all options are on the table for preventing a nuclear-armed Iran.”
Rep. Brad Sherman (D-CA) said he disagreed with Pelosi’s assessment of Netanyahu’s speech.
“Prime Minister Netanyahu’s speech was not condescending,” Sherman said in a Tuesday statement. “Every speech contains passages which remind the audience of facts they already know, and conclusions with which they already agree. That is not condescension; that is oratory. The Prime Minister’s speech did contain some new insight that Congress should carefully consider, though it did not contain a clear roadmap of to how to force Iran to accept a reasonable deal.”
This post has been updated.
'Zactly.
On the trivial front where the Village gets paid to live, I was pleased someone made Bibi shampoo the Dame Edna blue rinse out of what today was dull, dishwater gray. Shame the sneer’s gotten worse…
Pelosi is my representative and probably always will be be, and reading these heartfelt remarks I only wish she could once again be Speaker. Age and time are the insurmountable roadblocks to that happening.
It is, unfortunately, true. Netanyahu uses one hand to stab the United States in the back, and the other is reserved for generous welfare handouts.
"The unbreakable bonds between the United States and Israel… "
These bonds are not unbreakable. Bibi is playing with fire.
…all while publicly mouthing platitudes and privately saying “America is thing that’s easy to move”